Trawl-net.



No. 852,135. PATENTED APR. 30', 1907. R. R. OBEB.

TRAWL NET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY a. 1906.

, 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD RrPPoN ()BEE, on NEW YORK, N. Y.-

* T RAwL -NET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD RIPPON OBEE, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at the city, county, and State of New 'Y ork, haveinvented a new and useful Trawl-Net, of which the following is a speci--fication. 1

My invention consists of an improvement in a trawl net whereby themembers of the same are more effective in operation, they possessincreased strength-and may be folded in compact form as will behereinafter de- I of a detached portion. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailshowing the connection of the mesh to the weighting member.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures. 4

Referring to the drawings: A designates a trawl net to the mouth ofwhich are connected the boards or wings B,B, which are adapted to keepsaid mouth distended or spread apart. On said boards are the brackets C,O, which are pivotally connected with the same by cans of cars D whichfreely embrace the liases of said brackets and are se' cured to saidboards, said brackets being preferably of triangular form so they may beunited at the apexe's by means of the clevis or shackles E which arepassed around said apexes, one of each of said brackets having an eye Fthereon to receive said shackle, whereby said brackets may be connectedwhen in operative position as shown in Fig. 1 and retained in saidposition,'it being noticed that the draft cords or chains G are attachedto said shackles, whereby the net may be properl operate It wil be seenthat when the shackles are removed, the brackets m. be folded on eachother and on the boards a matter of importance when the net is not inuse, in which case the boards may occupy but little space on the deck ofa vessel or elsewhere.

Connected with the undersides of the boards B are the shoes H which arepreferably formed of metaland adapted to move on Specification ofLetters Patent. Applioation filed May 3, 1906. $erial No. 315,062.

Patented April 30, 1907.

the bottom of the water and while they strengthen the boards, they actas runners to take up the wear and so prevent injury to the boards, saidshoes also extending along the rear ends and tops of the boards as at J,thus stiffening said parts. t, Connected with the sides of the boardsare the plates K which are preferably formed of.

metal to strengthen said sides.

Within the net intermediate of its ends is a short section of net as atL which depends from what may be termed the top of the netand isyielding so that after afish has passed the section and attempts toreturn toward the mouth of the net, said section may be pushed by thefish toward saidmouth to a limited extent, when it ceases to yield andEllen forms a barrier to further return of the On the sides of thesection L are pockets M which are formed by closing portions of the netalong the line N which extends gradually to the sides of the net, theplace'of junction with said sides being closed. This forms said pocketsM which are open at rear and provides chambers into which the fish mayswim from which however they cannotescape to ward the mouth of the net,but from which they may swim rearward, then forward passing through thecenter of the net, being resisted by the section or hanger Lhereinb'efore referred-to.

The rear end of the net isadapted to be opened to permit the removal ofthe fish. For this purpose, the loops or meshes at said end are gatheredby the draw string A which closes said end and which when loosened,relieves said loops or meshes and permits them to separate, the effectof which is evident.

The couplings P of the net and boards are also connected with the bracesJ, thus adding stren th to said coupling.

Q designates a piece of wire which extends along the bottom of the netand across the same, its ends being secured to the lower sides of theboards B. A piece R of ro e is s irally wound tightly on said piece (5and t e adjacent meshes of the net are fitted on said piece Q betweenthe convolutions of the rope R by which provision, said meshes areprevented from shifting and so are properly held in place, the piece Qalso preserving the sha e of the bottom of the net and serving to weig tthe same.

Having thus described my invention, what y positely disposed andpivotally mounted on I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is:

1. In a trawl net, a spreader board at the mouth thereof, a pair ofoppositely disposed brackets pivotally mounted on said board with theirapices adapted to overlap, an eye at the apex of oneof said brackets,means on said board for the attachment of a net, and a shackle en agingsaid eye and the apex of the other brac ret.

2. In a trawl net, the combination with a spreader board, of a shoeextending along the bottom, along the rearend and the top of thespreader board, couplings secured to therear end portion of said shoe,angular brackets opsaid spreader board, and stiffening plates upon theopposite side of said'board in proximity to the securing. means of saidbrackets.

3. In a trawl net, a suspended yielding flap withinand inclosed by thenet and disposed across the throat of the latter.

4. In a trawl net, pockets, and a flap suspended between said pocketsthe net,

5. In a trawl net, pockets closed at the front and inner sides by thewalls of the net, and a flap suspended between said pockets within thenet and adapted to obstruct the central throat between the pockets. I

6. In a trawl net, pockets closed at the front and inner sides by theWalls of the net, and a swingin yielding flap suspended between said poclrets within the net and adapted to obstruct the central throat betweenthe pockets. I

7. In a trawl net, a shaping and weighting member thereof, consisting ofa piece of material such as wire and rope wound on said piece the meshof the net b'ein "on said piece between the convolutions 0 "said rope.

v RICHARD RIPPON OBEE. IVitnesses:

C. L. YEATON, E. B. THOMPSON.

